Seoul, Mar 19 (FN Agency) A prototype of South Korea’s homegrown KF-21 fighter jet passed its first aerial refuelling test on Tuesday, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA). The prototype took off from an air base in Sacheon-si, some 300 kilometres (186 miles) southeast of the capital city of Seoul. As it was flying over the waters off the country’s southern coast, the South Korean air force’s KC-330 tanker refuelled the jet, Yonhap reported.
One refuelling session could extend the jet’s operational range by up to 50 per cent, DAPA was cited as saying. The state arms procurement agency will continue refuelling tests of the KF-21 prototype at various flight altitudes and speeds. South Korea has been developing the KF-21 project since 2015 together with Indonesia, seeking to build a supersonic jet to replace the ageing fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets. To date, six prototypes have been built, with the first production model expected to be ready in 2026.